N's adventures as a human
by Gallade
Summary: Hello, everyone! I'm N! So... it turns out that Ghetsis wanted different things than me, so I left. But I have a friend now! Her name is White! And she's teaching me about humans! It's really exciting, even though I don't understand them very much.
1. N's realization

**7/29/13 Edit: Hey everyone! If you're a fan of this story, then you might like my semi follow-up story "An unexpected reunion." It takes place many years after these events take place. Please check it out if you can!**

* * *

**Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this :) **

**I don't own anything but the story, blah blah blah...**

"You don't have to do this!" White cried, trembling. N looked down and shook his head. Zekrom roared, shaking the very foundation of the room. Crumbled pillars and cracked floor tiles were just some of the debris scattered in the aftermath of the battle between the two heroes.

"It's what I have to do… Pokémon are suffering. They need to be free from their enslavement." N said. White sighed. "But Pokémon aren't our slaves. They're friends and we all work together."

N shook his head sadly and called back zekrom. White did the same with reshiram. The sound of slow clapping rang through the room, causing the two to look toward the source. It was Ghetsis. "Very good," he began, slowly walking toward them. "But now I hope you realize that I have to stop you. I can't let you mess with my plans for world domination," he continued, flashing both of them an evil grin.

N gasped. "World domination? What about Pokémon liberation?" he asked fearfully. Ghetsis cackled. "Truth is, N, I only wanted people to free their Pokémon so that I was the only person who still had them. This is all a very carefully planned scheme for me to achieve supreme command of the world."

N frowned and began to protest, but he was cut off.

"The best part?" Ghetsis continued, "I needed someone pure of heart with a strong sense of truth and ideals. Someone who is very convinced that the liberation of Pokémon is the right thing to do." N's heart clenched. _"He was only using me…._" He thought to himself. N shook his head in denial. "Then how do you explain all the abused Pokémon from my childhood? I heard their voices cry out in pain. They told me how much they were hurting, how they were suffering. Pokémon don't lie." He said, beginning to sound frustrated.

Ghetsis let loose a hoarse throaty laugh. "I fed you lies from the day you came under my care. Did you really think every Pokémon felt that way? I hand-picked the ones who were suffering and made sure that you only saw the bad side of things. I knew you had potential." He explained.

N's eyes widened in shock. "So it's all a lie?" he asked, sounding hurt. Ghetsis leaned on his staff. "Of course it was, stupid boy, and you believed every word of it. And of course, no REAL son of mine would have lost to some idiot girl from Nuvema town. You should be ashamed. You're just a freak without a human heart."

N looked down, the brim of his hat hiding his eyes. White swore she saw a tear running down his cheek. She clenched her fists. "You're gonna pay for that, Ghetsis," she said, her voice seething with anger.

* * *

The battle ended, and White was victorious. It was a close match, but her trusty archeops managed to take down his hydreigon with one final rock slide. Ghetsis, taken aback by such pure strength, fled the scene. He knew he was defeated. White leaned over, panting. "I… I did it," she said breathlessly. She turned around and saw N, whose face was still hidden by the shadow of his hat. White walked over to him and tentatively touched a hand to his trembling shoulder.

"N…? N, are you ok?" she asked gently. N shook his head and looked at her with watery eyes and tearstained cheeks. "It was all a lie…" he said in disbelief. "My whole life is a lie. Who am I really? Why am I even here? I don't know who to trust." He fretted. White put her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "You can trust me," she reassured him.

N looked at her for a second or two, as if he was analyzing her face for truthfulness. "Thank you," he said softly, pulling her into an unexpected hug. White ran her hand through his soft green ponytail, comforting him. His silent sobbing violently shook his entire body. "There, there… it's ok, shhh…" White quietly shushed him. "I'm here, it's ok…"

"_For a teenager, he sure is sensitive…_" White thought to herself. "_Then again, he was raised by a manipulative psycho who just told him that his whole life was one big lie. Poor guy…"_ N pulled away from the hug, wiping a tear from his face. "This is so silly," he criticized himself. "I barely know you, and here I am crying on your shoulder. I'm so stupid."

White frowned. "No you're not. I told you you could trust me, and besides, friendships have to start somewhere, right?" N paused for a second. "Do you really think we could be friends?" He asked. White smiled warmly. "I do," she said firmly. N's face lit up and fell again. "I'm sorry I cried…" he apologized. "I know it's unacceptable to cry, but I just couldn't hold it in."

White frowned harder. "Who told you it was unacceptable to cry?" N gave her an exasperated look. "Oh…" she replied softly. N sighed. "If father – I mean - Ghetsis saw how I was acting right now, he'd kill me. I just know it." He said. White raised an eyebrow. "You mean figuratively, right?" she asked. N began to shake again.

"_This is obviously a tender subject…_" White thought. "I need to get out of here," N said quickly, turning and walking toward the big gaping hole in the wall. As he reached for zekrom's pokeball, he felt a hand placed firmly on his shoulder. He turned around to see White's big blue eyes. "Don't go…" she pleaded.

"Why shouldn't I?" N asked with a frown. "You heard Ghetsis. I'm just a 'freak without a human heart.' Unova doesn't need me." White looked to the side, unable to reply. Yet N did not leave.

"You don't really want to go, do you?" White asked cautiously. N sighed. "There's nowhere for me TO go…" he said, sounding defeated. White's mind was made up. "Come with me," she said imperatively. N looked at her in disbelief. "Would you want me to?"

White chuckled. "That's a silly question, isn't it? I'm the one who suggested it." N's pale blue eyes lit up as the corners of his mouth stretched into a rare smile of excitement. He looked like a kid in a candy store. "Come on," he said, taking White's hand and leading her somewhere.

* * *

"Where are we going?" she asked between short breaths. N was walking very fast, and she had to basically run to keep up with him. They finally stopped in front of a doorway. "Go in," N said, sounding excited. White was unsure of what she was walking into, but she stepped into the room anyways.

"Whoa…" she uttered breathlessly. N walked in right behind her. "What do you think?" he asked enthusiastically. White giggled. N was suddenly acting like a completely different person from before. "What do I think?" She repeated. "I think this place is amazing!"

N chuckled. "It's my room," he exclaimed. White's jaw dropped. The room had toys all over the place: among them was a train set sprawled over the floor, a skateboard and ramp in the back of the room, and a basketball hoop. The floor was sky blue and had a cloud pattern, and the walls were checkered pale blue and purple. "This is your room?" White cried in disbelief. "Mmhm," N hummed in response.

White never really thought much about what N's room looked like, but she had expected it to be more like a typical teenage boy's room. The two looked around the room silently; for White, it was amazement that brought about the silence, but N was silent for reasons otherwise.

"_This place is everything I dreamed my room could be as a child…_" White thought to herself. "_I don't know how I pictured N's room would look, but it certainly wasn't this… Cheren's room is so dark and messy, and the bed has lots of dirty magazines underneath. I thought maybe that was how most teenage boys lived. _"

N broke the silence and interrupted White's silent conversation with herself. "But anyways, this is where I spent a good majority of my childhood. This was my one safe place where Ghetsis couldn't come get me. The bedroom in the back, however… that's another story." White winced at the thought. "Ghetsis… hurt you?" she asked.

N nodded. "Why is that a surprise? He said all parents need to treat their children that way, especially when they were bad, like me." White frowned. "I'm having a hard time believing that you were bad…" she said. N shook his head. "I was very bad, and I deserved punishment. Sometimes I left my room when I wasn't supposed to, and sometimes I even talked when I wasn't supposed to, but most of the time it was because he was already punishing me and I cried. Good children don't cry, no matter how much it hurts."

White felt saddened. Well, saddened wasn't the right word at all. Her heart was breaking little by little after hearing the words that came out of his mouth. She opened her mouth to say something, but she found no words of comfort that could console him. "It's ok to cry though," she said finally, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes we just need to let it out. So cry if you need to, and I'll be here for you no matter what."

N blinked away the tears that were forming. "I can't," he said, sounding pained. "I'm not supposed to cry." White gave N's arm a quick little squeeze. "Nonsense," she began, "Ghetsis isn't here to hurt you." N looked at her, his eyes watering. "I - *sniffle* I already… I told myself I wasn't gonna…" he said, stuttering. White reached up to dry a tear, standing on the tips of her toes to reach. "_He's tall_," she realized.

N stopped everything and gave White a puzzled look. "What?" She asked, suddenly nervous. "You… wiped my… tear…?" he said, sounding confused. It came out as more of a question than a statement.

White was afraid to answer. "Did I do something wrong?" She asked. N shook his head no and smiled. "Not at all, I'm just surprised you're showing me such kindness," he said. White rolled her eyes. "And why wouldn't I?" She replied, sounding ever so slightly frustrated. "Do you really think I'd be mean to you? Jeez, you act like kindness is a new concept or something…"

_Crap. Did I really just say that?_

N was silent. "You're my only human friend. I'm still trying to be human…" he finally said. His voice was strong and determined. "I'm trying to see the good in humans. I'm trying." White's facial expression softened a little. "N… I – "

"Can't you see? I'm trying to understand, but it's so hard." He continued, visibly upset. "N, I'm so sorry, that was really insensitive of me. I know that you're not exactly familiar with normal human interaction. I'll try to be more patient with you, I promise." White said. A ghost of a smile formed on his face. "Promise?" He asked, still silently refusing to meet her gaze.

White nodded. "I promise," she confirmed. N's stomach growled loudly. He quickly placed a hand over it in a feeble attempt to stifle the sound. "Hungry?" White asked. N sheepishly nodded. "I am too…" She admitted. "Are you opposed to going somewhere to eat? It's a little too late to be flying all the way back to Nuvema town, and it's certainly too long of a trip to make in one night." She said. N agreed. "I'm sure we could at least make it to Opelucid before it's too late…" he reasoned.

White pulled out her archeops' pokeball. "Hope you're ready for quite a flight…" She muttered, pressing the button in the center of the pokeball. Archeops appeared in a blinding flash of white light. "Hey buddy! How are you feeling?" she asked it. Archeops cawed and preened its feathers a little_. I'm feeling kinda beat… we just battled, remember?_ White frowned, seeing that it was holding its wing at an odd angle. "You're in no state to fly…" She said, concerned. She crouched down to look at archeops at eye level.

Archeops nuzzled her affectionately. _I'm ok, really! I can fly you anywhere! …Next time, that is…_

N watched this entire scene in amazement. He'd never seen such a heartwarming display of friendship between a trainer and a Pokémon… besides his own interactions, of course. He smiled as White gently kissed archeops on the top of its head, scratched its neck feathers, and sent it back into its pokeball to rest. "I guess flying's out of the question…" White reluctantly admitted, standing up. "Archeops is in no shape to fly."

N hummed thoughtfully. "We could either stay here for the night and risk starvation or we can fly on reshiram to Opelucid. I'd rather not stay here, but it's up to you," he said. White raised an eyebrow. "Why not zekrom?" She asked.

"It's still exhausted from our battle, remember?" He responded. "You beat us good"

White giggled. "Yeah, I guess we did," she admitted.

The two quickly headed back to the room where they battled. White pulled out reshiram's pokeball and pressed the button in the middle. Reshiram appeared in a bright flash of light. "Do you think you could fly the both of us to Opelucid city, reshiram?" She asked it gently. Reshiram looked at her. _Of COURSE I can_.

"Hehe," she chuckled. "Sorry, it was silly of me to ask. I know you can," she said, patting its side. It bent down and let her climb onto its back. She looked down to see N still standing in the same place he was before. "You coming?" White asked him. N stood there. "You can understand reshiram?" He asked in bewilderment. White smiled. "I don't know how, but I think we have a special connection, right reshiram?" she said, petting reshiram's neck. Reshiram called out powerfully. _You can understand me too, right N?_

N smiled and gently rubbed its side. "Yes, I can," he said softly.

_Come on then, we're flying to Opelucid._

N climbed on, but was immediately faced with the dilemma of where to sit. He shrugged and sat down right behind White, wrapping his arms around her to hold on. White snapped her head around. "What are you doing?" she cried in shock. N flinched. "How else am I going to stay on?" he asked. "True…" White sighed. N seemed to have no respect for personal space, but it was forgivable. After all, he didn't know any better.

"Let's go, Reshiram! To Opelucid city!" She called good-naturedly. Reshiram flapped its wings and flew out toward the quickly darkening sky.

**So that's it for Chapter 1! N's in good hands now :) Please review if you can! I'd love to hear your feedback. **


	2. White's responsibility

**Hey everyone! Here's chapter 2: White's responsibility! Enjoy!**

The flight to Opelucid was pretty uneventful, save for the times when N held on tight to White's waist, merely out of shock or fear. She dismissed it as a normal reaction to flying and said nothing about it. The two finally arrived in Opelucid. Reshiram was exhausted, and could barely lift its wings by the time they got there. "_I battled too, remember_…." It reminded White.

"I know, and I thank you very very much for getting us here safely. I really appreciate it," White said to it, calling it back into its pokeball for rest. N crossed his arms. "I think it's too late for anything to be open except for the Pokémon center," he said. White nodded. "I agree, I think we should just stay there for the night and eat there."

N's stomach growled again. He really hadn't eaten all day, and he was becoming dizzy. "I need food," He admitted, clutching his stomach. "I feel funny…" White looked at him, worried. He DID look paler than usual. "We need to get you inside," She said, taking his hand and leading him into the Pokémon center.

* * *

"Hello, kids! Welcome to the Pokémon center!" The nurse greeted as the two approached the main desk. "Hello," White replied, "Are there any rooms left?" She asked. "I believe so, just let me check" the nurse said cheerfully. "Great!" White said, relieved. She looked over at N, who was leaning on the desk for support. He was clearly not well. The nurse looked over at him, alarmed. "I think your friend needs to sit down," she said with a sense of urgency. "He really doesn't look good."

N barely heard any of what the two were conversing about. His head was swimming and everything sounded like it was underwater. Darkness kept clouding his field of vision. "_When did I last eat?_" He asked himself. "_Yesterday? The day before that_?" Without warning, he collapsed. White gasped and instinctively reached out to keep him from falling. She managed to grab a hold of his shirt. She gently laid him down on the floor, unsure of what to do next.

The nurse practically flew out from behind the desk and knelt down next to N. White's heart was pounding wildly. "Is he going to be ok?" she asked the nurse, who was taking his pulse and checking his vitals. "He passed out. He seems dehydrated," the nurse replied, demonstrating by pinching the skin on his hand. White facepalmed in frustration. "He said he was hungry, I should have listened. It's all my fault," she said.

The nurse chuckled. "It's not your fault, you're being too critical of yourself." White looked away, still feeling guilty. "Still, we need to keep an eye on him," the nurse continued. "His body must have gone into starvation mode hours or even days ago." White frowned. "Is there any way I can help?" she asked.

"Grab a long pillow from one of the couches," the nurse instructed. White did as she was told, and the nurse put the pillow under N's legs. "His legs?" White questioned. "Yes, it allows for maximum blood flow to the brain, the nurse replied. "Now would you be a dear and grab the emergency blanket and a few washcloths from behind the desk? I'd do it myself, but I can't leave him unattended."

White did as she was told, her mind still preoccupied with worry. The nurse covered N with the blanket and tilted his head to the side. "Now wet those washcloths for me, please. We need cool compresses," she said. White went to wet the cloths in the sink down the hall.

* * *

Upon coming back, cool washcloths in hand, White saw that N was awake and alert. She ran over to him, tears of relief flooding her vision. "I'm so glad you're ok!" She cried, kneeling down. N smiled at her. "The nurse insisted that I lay down for a little," he said weakly. White placed the cool compress on his forehead. "You should have said something to me if you needed to eat that bad," she said. "I was worried sick."

The nurse reached under the desk and pulled out a small bottle of juice from the mini fridge. "Drink this in small sips if you can," she said, handing N the bottle. N took a sip and made a face. "It's too sweet," he said, not even trying to hide his disgust. "The texture's really chalky too." The nurse rolled her eyes. "It's sweet because it's supposed to help you get your blood sugar back up to normal. That's why you passed out in the first place," she said. "Oh," N replied sheepishly. He learned from a very young age not to argue with the person in charge.

"I'm feeling a lot better now, anyways," he said, finishing the sickeningly sweet juice. "Do you feel ready to stand up?" White asked him. He nodded. "I think so…" he said, attempting to get up. White lent him a hand and the two slowly stood up. "Lean on me if you need to," she said.

"Now, normally I wouldn't recommend that a guy and a girl share a room, but… I want you to look after him, ok? Make sure he doesn't pass out again, and call for help if he does." The nurse said, handing White a room key. White grimaced slightly. "_We're sharing a room_?!" She didn't argue against it though, seeing as it was for his well-being. "Dinner will be sent to your room shortly," the nurse continued, smiling. White smiled back, trying to hide her disdain. "_Come to think of it, I barely know him… I'm basically sharing a room with a complete stranger_," she thought to herself. "_It's just my luck…_"

N frowned. "Do you think you could heal our Pokémon?" He asked the nurse. "It'll feel wrong for me to rest while my friend zekrom is injured." The nurse raised her eyebrows in shock. "Excuse me, did you just say zekrom?" she asked. N gave her a serious look. "Yes, of course I did." He said. The nurse's eyes remained wide as she accepted their pokeballs. "Thank you for everything!" White called as the two slowly walked to their room.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," White mumbled as they stepped into the room. There was only one bed. Only one. "I don't see any problem with this," N said, walking over to the queen sized bed and sitting down. "It's really comfy!" He exclaimed. "Great..." White replied sourly. N picked up on this sudden mood change. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked timidly. White sighed forcefully. "No, it's not your fault," she replied. N frowned. "Are you grumpy because you're tired or because you're hungry?" He asked her. She whipped her head around. "What did you just say to me?!" She snapped at him.

N cowered a little. White mentally slapped herself. "N, I'm sorry. You're right, I am being really grouchy." She admitted, seeing his terrified face. 'I should be fine once dinner comes." N's face brightened. "I almost forgot they were sending us dinner!" He said happily. Almost as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it," White said, seeing that N was still weak from before. She stood up and answered the door to see an audino pushing a wheeled cart. It smiled and handed over two trays to white. "Thank you so much!" she said to the audino. "Aud, audino," it replied sweetly as it walked away with the cart.

White closed the door with her foot and carefully brought the two trays over to the small bedside table. "What did we get?" N asked, excitedly taking the top off of one of the trays. White's eyes practically lit up. "Grilled cheese sandwiches and tamato berry soup?" she cried. N looked at her, puzzled. "What?" He asked.

White looked at him in shock. "You've never had grilled cheese and tamato berry soup before?" She asked. N shook his head. "I didn't eat very much variety at the castle growing up. Anthea and Concordia would occasionally slip me a treat here and there, but for the most part I was on a very strict bland diet, enforced by Ghetsis." He said. He leaned over the tray. "This smells heavenly."

White smiled. "Try it!" She said. N took a bite of his grilled cheese sandwich and practically melted. It was so crispy, so buttery, so indescribably gooey and delicious. He blushed a little. White leaned in. "Well?" she asked, eager to hear his response. N looked at her, smiling. "It's so good!" He exclaimed. "How did I go 18 years without ever trying one of these?"

White chuckled and took a bite of her own sandwich. "My mom makes better," she said, "but I can't complain!" N looked shocked. "This isn't the best?" He asked. White took another bite. "Nope, but it's still pretty good. She took a spoon out of the plastic sleeve of utensils and tried the soup. "Hey, the soup is pretty good too!" She said. "Try it, it's a little spicy!"

N made a worried face and took a spoonful. "HOT!" He yelped, dropping the spoon and holding his mouth. White giggled. "You need to blow on it first, or you'll burn your tongue." She said. N looked at her in a pained sort of way. "You could have mentioned that before," he whimpered. White apologized and gave him another spoon and a napkin to clean up the mess. He took another spoonful and carefully blew on it before putting it in his mouth. This time, he could taste the soup: savory with a spicy aftertaste. "This is delicious!" N cried. He watched White dip her sandwich into the soup, and mimicked her. White quickly caught on to his mimicry: he picked up his spoon when she did, he took a bite of the sandwich when she did, and everything else in between.

She giggled. He was so eager to be more human.

They finished their food in relative silence. White offered to throw out their garbage and return their trays. When she came back, she saw N lying down. "You ready for bed? She asked him. He nodded slowly. "I'm exhausted," he said. White agreed and went into the bathroom to change into her pajamas.

* * *

White came back out in a long t shirt and a short pair of shorts underneath. N looked at her, puzzled. "You sleep in clothes?" he asked bluntly. White froze. "Please tell me you're planning on sleeping in clothes, N" she said worriedly. He looked down. "I don't have any clothes to sleep in," he said. White's eye twitched. "If we're sharing a bed, you HAVE to wear clothes," she demanded. She dug through her bag and pulled out another t shirt and a pair of long pajama pants for him. "They might be a little small on you, but it's better than nothing," she said.

N shrugged and stood up, beginning to take his clothes off right there. White screamed a little. "Change in the bathroom, PLEASE," she cried, putting her hands over her eyes out of respect. N did as he was told.

* * *

White heard his voice call her name. "Yes, N?" she asked, walking up to the bathroom door. "These pants don't fit," he said, sounding embarrassed. "Come on out and let me see," she said calmly. The door swung open and White had to fight back a fit of giggles. The t shirt N was wearing barely made it past his belly button and the pants, well… he got them almost all the way up, but they looked so tight, and the pant legs ended above his ankles. "I look ridiculous," N said.

"I'll say!" White laughed. "I'm sorry, N, I guess you're too tall for my clothes." N pouted. "These pants are uncomfortable…" he complained. White sighed. "I GUESS you can sleep without them, as long as you're wearing underwear," she said, giving in. N sighed in relief and stripped off the pants. White blushed and averted her eyes again. She took the pants off the floor, folded them, and put them in her bag while N climbed into bed.

"Is it safe to look yet?" White asked. N mumbled, already half- asleep. She shrugged and turned around, climbing into bed. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

**I hope you enjoyed it! Please review if you can!**


	3. Welcome back

**Here's chapter 3: Welcome back. It's a really long chapter, but bear with me! I promise it'll be good! Please enjoy :)**

White woke up feeling well-rested. "Did yesterday really happen?" She muttered quietly to herself. She looked down to see an arm draped over her side. Her heart sank as she slowly turned to see N's face dangerously close to hers. She tried as hard as she could to stop the scream she felt building inside. N was still asleep. White's heart was beating wildly from the surprise. She moved N's arm off of her and inched away from him. "Guess I wasn't imagining it…" She said softly, trying to calm down.

N made a small noise and frowned. "_He's waking up_…" White thought to herself. As if on cue, N's eyes fluttered open. "White?" He whispered, sounding disoriented. "Yeah?" White asked. N smiled and closed his eyes again. "Just making sure you're really there," he said contentedly. White blushed. "I'm here," she said.

"Good."

"It_ is_ morning though," White said. "I think we should get up soon." N grunted and rolled over. "But I'm cold!" He whined. White rolled her eyes. It was like trying to deal with a five year old. "Get dressed then," she said. "Besides, it's just the air conditioning in the room."

N pulled the covers over his head. "No!" He cried. White sighed. "Unbelievable…" she muttered. She stood up and headed to the bathroom to get dressed. "When I come back out, I want you to be up, ok?" She said to N. He was still hiding under the covers.

* * *

White was out in a matter of minutes, wearing a pair of black short shorts, her combat boots, and a mint green cami. N was sitting on the bed, wearing just his skintight black underarmor shirt and his khaki pants. He looked over at her, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Are you finished being immature?" White joked. N pouted. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. It's what friends do, silly," she continued. N's expression softened. "Alright," he said softly. "_She thinks of me as a friend!_" He thought to himself excitedly.

"But anyways, what are we doing today?" He asked White. She raised both eyebrows. "I'm gonna go home and visit my mom. I was hoping you'd want to come along," She said shyly. N smiled. "I'd love to go, if that's ok."

White smiled in return and brushed her hair, getting rid of the bedhead. "Before we go, we need to get breakfast and get our Pokémon back," She said. N nodded in agreement. "I _am_ really hungry…" He admitted. The two packed up their stuff and went out to the main lobby of the Pokémon center.

"Hello and good morning!" They were greeted by the same nurse as last night. "Are you feeling better, dear?" She asked N, referring to his fainting spell. He nodded. "Thank you for helping us. Are our Pokémon fully healed yet?"

The nurse turned around and brought out a tray with all of the pokeballs on it. "You're all set!" the nurse cheerfully exclaimed. N and White took their pokeballs and headed to the café in the Pokémon center.

* * *

White approached the register, ready to order. "Yeah, can I have a café mocha and a toasted bagel with cream cheese?" She asked. The barista nodded and began making the order while another took her payment. "Are you gonna have anything, N?" She asked him. "Uh…" he trailed off, looking at the menu board in a panic. All of this sounded foreign to him. "I – I'll have what she's having!" He managed to stutter. White looked over at him, puzzled. He seemed pleased with himself.

White paid for his breakfast too. "My treat," she said with a smile. The two picked up their coffees and bagels and sat down at a small table. N stirred his coffee and watched what White was doing. He reached for a sugar packet in an attempt to mimic her again. White chuckled. "You seemed confused back there, you ok?" She asked.

N set down his spoon. "I've never had any of this stuff before… I haven't ever ordered anything from a guy behind a counter, let alone make a choice from a board above his head. It's a lot of pressure," he said. White smirked. It was kinda cute just how lost he got when dealing with human matters. She unwrapped her bagel from the wax paper they toasted it on and began to take a bite when she caught N staring at her.

"What?" She asked. "What is that thing?" was N's response.

"It's a bagel with cream cheese. You ordered one too."

N made a face and unwrapped his wax paper. "I guess I did," he said.

"Try it, you'll like it," White encouraged. N slowly brought the bagel to his mouth and took a bite. It was delicious! The bagel was crispy on the edges and the cream cheese was smooth and savory.

"Why do you always order things that are so yummy?" N cried. White raised an eyebrow. "Because… I like them? I don't even know how to answer that, N."

N smiled and shook his head. "That was a silly question, sorry, I meant something more like 'how do you always know something tastes good or not?' You always order the right thing," he said.

White sighed and took another bite of her bagel. "I've had these things before, so I know what I like and what I don't. It's as easy as that." She said. N nodded silently.

N picked up his spoon and stirred his coffee again. "Is coffee any good?" He asked. White shrugged. "I like it, but you might not, it's –"

Before White could finish her sentence, N took a huge sip of coffee. He immediately made a face and swallowed, although somewhat painfully. "Why would you do that to me?" He asked White, looking pathetic. "It's disgusting and bitter and hot."

"I didn't even finish talking and you drank it. I was gonna say it's an acquired taste. It's gross at first, but it gets better."

N looked down at the cup and grimaced. "Do I have to drink it all?" He asked even more pathetically than before.

"I'll finish it for you if you want," White said. N handed over the cup and shuddered. "That was icky," he said. White rolled her eyes. "_So childish…_" She thought to herself with a grin.

The two finished up their breakfast and made their way outside. "Should we take reshiram, like last time? Or is zekrom up for a long flight to Nuvema town?" White asked N. N hesitated. "Maybe we should take reshiram again…" He said, "Reshiram knows where it is better than zekrom does."

White nodded in agreement. "I guess you're right…"

"Come on out, reshiram!" White called, pulling out its pokeball. Reshiram appeared in a flash of white light. "Do you think you could fly us home?" Reshiram roared. "_N's coming with you_?"

"Yes, he is"

"_So be it_."

"Thank you, reshiram," White said, climbing on its back. N followed her and sat tight.

* * *

The flight was long and tiring, and by the time the two arrived in Nuvema town, it was nearly night time. It was already starting to get dark outside.

"Which house is your house?" N asked White. Reshiram landed in front of a house in the center of town. "Does this answer your question" She joked. N slid off of reshiram's back and petted its side. White slid off behind him. "I'm going to go inside and see if mom's here, ok?" She said, running up to the door.

N turned back to face reshiram. "Thank you for flying us so far," he whispered softly. "We really appreciate it. I am thankful."

Reshiram turned to look at N. "_I am glad that you and White have finally settled your differences. It pained both zekrom and I to see two strong individuals fighting, just as the two brothers did many years ago_."

N smiled and petted its neck. "You don't have to worry about us fighting. I realize now that I was wrong." Reshiram nodded. "_You two are both pure of heart. As a team, you two will undoubtedly change the Unova region for the better. I trust that you will work with her._" N nodded, and White came back outside.

"Did you and reshiram have a good chat?" She asked, pulling out its pokeball. "Thank you reshiram, we wouldn't have made it home if it wasn't for your amazing flying ability. We owe it all to you," She said gratefully. Reshiram gracefully stood up tall and let White return it to the pokeball. "Come on," White said excitedly, returning the pokeball to her belt and leading N to the door.

When the two stepped inside, they were immediately greeted by a lady who seemed to be in her early 40's. "Mom, I'd like you to meet N," White said, nudging N. White's mom gasped and straightened her apron. "White, honey, when you said that we had a guest, I had no idea he'd be this cute! Or a guy, actually."

N blushed. "Thank you," he said softly. White rolled her eyes and groaned. "Mom…" she whined. White's mom held up both hands and smiled. "Sorry, I meant cute for you! I didn't know you were bringing your boyfriend home, that's all."

Now it was White's turn to blush. "He's not my boyfriend!" She insisted. N turned to her. "But I'm both a boy and your friend. Wouldn't that make me your – "

"No." White replied, cutting him off. N looked crestfallen. White's mom broke the silence. "Why don't you two come in? I just finished making dinner! I always make a little extra, but I didn't anticipate having two extra mouths to feed tonight!" The two shut the door and followed mom inside.

"I want you two to wash up for dinner, ok? White, honey, show N where the bathroom is and where he'll be staying."

"Alright mom," White called, leading N upstairs. "The bathroom is right at the top of the stairs to the left, and the guest bedroom is just down the hall." She said. "I'm going to put my stuff in my room while you wash up."

N cautiously stepped into the bathroom and explored the new surroundings. The walls were a pale blue to match the medium blue floor tiles. "Pretty…" N whispered. He turned on the faucet and washed his hands.

* * *

White set her bag down on the floor of her room, sighing loudly and collapsing onto her bed. "_It's been too long since I was here… I missed my room_!" She thought to herself, hugging her jirachi pillow.

"White? N?" White's mom called from downstairs, sounding a little impatient. "Have you guys washed up yet?" White sat up, shaking the sleepiness that threatened to overtake her. "Just a minute, mom!" She shouted back. She got up, stretched, and quickly brushed her hair. Neglecting the hand washing, she ran downstairs.

N was nowhere to be seen. White looked around, puzzled. Her mom seemed to have read her mind, because she responded with a shrug. "N! DINNER TIME!" She yelled up the stairs. When she got no response, she huffed and stormed over to the table. No one dared to get between her and her mom's cooking… N was really pushing it.

The mother and daughter sat down at the table and began filling their plates with freshly baked dinner rolls and salad. Finally, N walked into the room. He took the empty seat at the table and sat down for a moment before White's constant glaring finally got to him.

"Is… something wrong?" he asked. White raised her eyebrows. "What took you so long?" she blurted out. Her mom shushed her, staring at her unusually bold daughter with wide eyes. "He doesn't need to share that, White," she scolded. "Maybe he just needed a little private time."

White looked at her mom in horror. "EW!" she squealed. Her mom rolled her eyes.

N cleared his throat. "I was just washing my hands," he clarified. Truth be told, he WAS doing something else too, but it wasn't what they were implying. He hadn't looked in a mirror in ages (the mirrors in the castle all were broken or went missing over the years), and his appearance shocked him a little. He hadn't expected to see the 18-something year old man he saw staring back at him.

His hair was much longer than he remembered, and his face had traded that boyish charm for something a little more mature. He also looked positively filthy, but this was more than likely just a side effect of his traveling. He ended up spending ten minutes studying his new, unfamiliar appearance before he remembered he was needed at dinner.

"Anyways, I'm sorry I'm late for dinner," he apologized. "I uh… I was just looking at… your… bathroom! That's all! I like how blue it is!"

White snorted rudely. "THAT'S not weird at all…" she muttered sarcastically. Her mom turned to look at her. "What has gotten into you, young lady?!" She cried, shocked. White took a sip of her glass of water. "Nothing," she said quietly.

White's mom turned to N. "Please excuse my daughter's behavior, N, I don't know why she's acting like this," she said, placing a reassuring hand on his arm.

N chuckled. "It's ok," he said. "I've noticed that she gets grumpy when she's hungry."

White rolled her eyes as her mom laughed at N's unintentional joke. "Your new friend is great!" she said in between laughs. White sighed heavily. "Can we just eat already?" She asked. Her mom stopped laughing and agreed. "Go ahead, N, grab some food. It's right here," she said, handing him a plate.

N looked at the rectangular pan in the center of the table, unsure of how to even begin filling his plate. White's mom answered his confusion by picking up a spatula and cutting a large square of food from the pan. "What is this?" N asked politely.

"It's lasagna," was her reply as she scooped out a section from the pan and put it on N's plate.

"La… san… ya?" N said, slowly enunciating each syllable.

"You'll like it," White said as she scooped out a portion for herself. "It's just alternating layers of tomato sauce and cheese separated by long flat noodles."

N picked at the lasagna with his fork, looking at each layer. "Ah," he said, seeing what she meant.

White watched him in anticipation as he slowly cut a large chunk of the corner with his fork and brought it to his mouth. "_Go on…_" She thought to herself. N finally put the forkful in his mouth and smiled.

"Is it good?!" White cried excitedly. N looked at her, his mouth still full. "Sorry…" she apologized. After about ten more seconds, N swallowed, the smile still on his face. He stared at the plate hungrily for a moment, then dug in again. White giggled. "I'll take that as a yes?" She said. N nodded enthusiastically.

White's mom clapped her hands together. "Finally, another good eater to feed!" she said excitedly.

Both White and her mom watched in amusement as N hurriedly shoveled down everything on his plate before reaching for a dinner roll. "Slow down there," White's mom said good-naturedly. "You don't have to eat everything as fast as you can. It's not a race."

N looked at her in awe. "You're not going to take my food away from me?" he asked sincerely. White's mom looked shocked. "Why would anyone take food away from a starving young man?!" she asked.

White leaned over to her mom and gave her a look that said 'don't ask.'

N sighed and relaxed a little. "I am sorry. My food always got taken away from me growing up, and since I especially like this la-san-ya, I didn't want it to go away."

"We will never take your food away from you, N. You should slow down or you'll make yourself sick." White's mom replied.

"_She cares_!" N thought to himself excitedly. "_They care about me_!"

The three of them finished their dinner, talking about White's journeys as they ate. White made sure to steer the conversation away from N, though, fearing that he would feel too pressured if asked a personal question. When they finished, White offered to do the dishes.

"May I watch?" N asked in fascination as he walked up to White at the sink. White raised an eyebrow, feeling him look over her shoulder. "They're just dishes, N. There's nothing exciting about them. Why don't you go ask mom if there's something else you can help with?"

As if on cue, her mom called N over to the table. N walked over to her, eager to help with something. "N, honey, would you help me with dessert?" she asked. "I just bought white lightning ice cream. It's White's favorite! I was thinking we could all have some tonight."

N smiled. "How can I help?" he asked eagerly.

"You can start by getting me three bowls and three spoons from the dish drainer," she said, pointing to White at the sink. N shrugged and went over there.

"Did mom not have anything for you to do?" White asked as N walked to her side.

"Actually, I'm helping her with dessert," he replied. White perked up a little at the word 'dessert.' "I need three bowls and three spoons," N continued.

White handed him the silverware and directed him to the cupboard where the bowls were kept. "Just curious… what's for dessert?" she asked, shutting off the faucet and leaning on the sink.

"Some kind of lightning ice cream," N replied.

White stopped everything she was doing. "White… lightning?" she asked breathlessly.

N smiled. "Yeah, that was it!" he said, heading back to the dining room with the bowls and spoons. White couldn't help but follow him into the dining room.

White's mom chuckled when she saw that White had returned with N. "Guess it couldn't stay a surprise for long," she said.

N handed over the dishes and the two teenagers watched in anticipation as White's mom scooped ice cream into the bowls.

"Just curious, what is 'white lightning?'" N asked. White smiled, handing him a bowl. "It's dark chocolate ice cream with a stripe of white mint fudge running through it. It's my favorite!" She said, taking the next bowl.

N took a spoonful of ice cream and tried it. The flavors blended together perfectly. He could feel himself blushing a little. The fainting incident didn't illustrate it well (with the juice and all), but he had a real sweet tooth. The dark chocolate ice cream was incredible.

White looked over at him and saw the light blush that was spread over his cheeks. "You like it, huh?" she said in a mock-accusatory fashion. N nodded, licking his spoon clean.

White's mom finished the last of the ice cream in her dish and went to the sink to wash it out. N looked at White and noticed a small splotch of chocolate on the corner of her mouth. "_I shouldn't let her waste that ice cream_…" he thought to himself. "_It's too good_."

N cleared his throat. "White, you've got a little something on your face," he said boldly. White looked at him, confused. N pointed at her lips, trying to make her understand. She continued to stare blankly at him. N sighed and leaned in, pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth as he licked the chocolate off.

White stiffened up, unable to react. After he licked it all off, he sat back and grinned. "You had ice cream on your face, but I got it," he said confidently. White looked at him, horrified and unable to say anything. She felt a weird mix of shock and anger and… oh god, was she blushing? The blood was pounding in her ears, drowning her ability to think coherently.

She decided she was furious. She stood up, slapped N across the face, and ran upstairs.

N slowly brought his hand to the spot where White slapped him, tears forming in his eyes. That stung – a lot, and in more ways than one.

White's mom walked back into the room. "Where's White? And goodness, N, why are you crying?"

N sniffled and looked White's mom in the eyes. She frowned and lifted the hand he was holding to his face. Underneath was a bright red handprint where White slapped him.

N sniffled again and turned away. "I didn't expect her to do that…" he said sadly. White's mom folded her arms crossly. "Why in hell would she hit you?!" she cried. N blinked, sending more tears streaming down his face.

"I don't know," he said in disbelief. "She had ice cream on her face, so I cleaned it off for her."

White's mom frowned. "That's no reason for her to hit you," she said, pulling him into a comforting motherly hug. N pressed his face into the crook of her neck, finally letting the tears flow.

"I'm so scared," N admitted. "She hates me now, I just know it." White's mom held him tighter and patted his back, just as any loving mother would do. "She doesn't hate you, sweetie. I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding."

N sobbed again, clutching her tighter. "I think I just lost my only friend," he whispered.

White's mom pulled away from the hug, looking at the poor boy before her.

N covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry, I can't…" he cried, running upstairs. White's mom heard a door slam, and figured that he had gone to hide in the guest bedroom.

"_I need to talk to White_," she thought to herself, heading upstairs.

* * *

White ran upstairs and slammed her bedroom door behind her. She leapt onto the bed face down and closed her eyes. "Who does he think he is?" she cried out loud.

"…_And why did that make me feel so tingly inside_?"

There was a knock on the door. White tensed up. "White, honey, we need to talk," her mom's voice called through the door. She relaxed a little. "Come in…" she said reluctantly.

The door opened and her mom stepped inside. "White… what happened?" she asked, cutting right to the chase. White sighed and rolled over to face the wall. "N's a jerk, that's what!" she said.

Mom sat down on her bed and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Honey, N told me what happened, and he's definitely not a jerk from what I heard."

White shot her a disbelieving look. "He stole my first kiss!" she cried angrily. Her mom frowned thoughtfully, putting two and two together. "That's not what I heard. And besides, wasn't Cheren your first kiss?"

White groaned. "Mom, that doesn't count."

Her mom rolled her eyes. "Honey, this is all one big misunderstanding. N said that he was helping you clean off your face. I don't think he understood the implications of what he did. He had innocent intentions."

White pulled a pillow over her face and groaned, frustrated.

"White, I think you should go talk to him. He's in the guest room crying. He's really upset, and he's convinced that he lost his only friend." Her mom said calmly.

White felt really guilty. "So… he really didn't mean anything by it?" she asked hesitantly. Her mom stood up. "Go talk it out with him," she said, leaving the room.

White covered her face with her hands. "Why am I such a jerk?" she asked herself out loud. She stood up and walked to the guest bedroom.

* * *

White didn't bother knocking… she knew that if she asked for permission to come in, N would turn her away. She took a deep breath and turned the doorknob.

N was lying face down on the bed. He quickly turned his head, surprised by the noise.

White felt a guilty pang in her chest when she saw his tearstained cheeks and the still-red mark on his face where she slapped him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked solemnly. "Have you come to hit me some more?"

White cringed, realizing that he was being serious in his question.

"I feel terrible, N. May I sit down?"

N nodded and White sat down on the edge of his bed.

He sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry I offended you. Please don't hate me," he said sincerely.

White nervously touched her fingertips together. "I don't hate you. I could never hate you," she said softly. "I didn't realize you were just getting the ice cream off my face. I thought you were stealing a kiss."

N cocked his head. "Kiss?" he asked. White looked down. "Yeah, but now I realize you weren't trying to kiss me," she said. N stared at her, confused. "What's a kiss?" he asked.

White realized that he WAS being innocent… he didn't even know what a kiss was.

"You don't know what kissing is?" she asked.

N looked as confused as ever. White sighed, seeing that she was going to have to explain. "_What did I get myself into_?" she thought to herself.

"Kissing is… uh… a way that humans show affection. But not just friendly affection, I mean like romantic affection. Like a husband and wife or a boyfriend and girlfriend." She explained.

N nodded like he understood. "There's that boyfriend word again…" he said softly. White facepalmed. "Shit…" she muttered under her breath. "Boyfriends aren't just boys that are friends," she said, referring to his earlier confusion. "They're… like… hmm," she stuttered, realizing how hard it was to explain something to someone who knew virtually nothing about the subject.

"Say, hypothetically, that we liked each other as more than just friends," she began.

"So love?"

White's eyes widened. "Yes! Love!" she said, excited that he was making connections. "If we loved each other, hypothetically, we would hold hands and go on dates and… kiss. Then you'd be the boyfriend and I'd be the girlfriend."

N smiled excitedly. "I understand!" he exclaimed, sitting up. "Yay!" White cheered.

"…I still don't know what kissing is though," he admitted. White hung her head. "Kissing is when humans press their lips together in a sign of mutual affection."

N pursed his lips. "Like this?" he asked. White shook her head and laughed. "No, a kiss is when one person presses their lips on another person's lips."

N nodded, smiling.

"Now I see why you thought I kissed you," he said. "I just wanted the ice cream on the corner of your mouth though."

"I know. I'm sorry for getting so mad at you," she replied softly. She stood up. "I should be getting to bed."

N stood up too. "Thank you for taking me back as your friend," he said, hugging her tight. White blushed and hugged him back.

"Thank you for being my friend," she said in return, putting her head against the taller boy's chest.

N leaned down and gently kissed White's forehead.

"Sweet dreams, White," he said sweetly, leading her out of the room.

"…you too…" White whispered as she shut the door behind her.

She numbly walked back to her room and sat down on the bed.

"Wait…" she said out loud. "What just happened?!"

**N tried coffee, bagels, and lasagna for the first time! He's so adorable and innocent about everything ^_^ Thank you for reading!**


	4. Back to normal?

**Here's chapter 4: Back to normal?**

**White and N are settling into life at home :) Enjoy!**

White stirred in her sleep and rolled over. Her eyes fluttered open as a beam of sun shined through the curtains and onto her cheek. "Morning already?" she mumbled softly. She loved mornings like this: she woke up feeling fully rested, the sun was shining, and her bed was as comfortable as it could possibly be. She curled up in a ball and pulled the covers up more.

"_Wait…_" she thought to herself, realizing that she didn't have some of these blankets when she fell asleep. She smiled. "_Mom must have checked on me overnight_."

She glanced over at the clock. It was 9:00 AM. She yawned and stretched, getting up. She grabbed her outfit for the day (consisting of a short black skirt with a purple cami and thigh high socks) a towel, and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

After her refreshing shower, she got dressed and headed downstairs. "I smell pancakes!" She called as soon as she set foot downstairs. She ran to the kitchen, hoping she was right.

She saw N sitting at the 'island' with a plate in front of him. Mom was at the stove with a pan and a bowl of pancake batter, a small basket of pecha berries next to the batter. White's eyes widened.

"Pecha berry pancakes?!" she cried. Mom and N turned around. "Good morning!" Mom said cheerfully. "Happy Saturday!"

N smiled at White. "These pancakes are so good!" he said, patting the chair next to him. White sat down next to him and smiled. Her mom's pecha berry pancakes were her favorite breakfast food! Mom set down a plate of pancakes in front of White. "Thanks mom" she said, picking up her fork and digging in.

"You guys grab more if you want it, there's plenty here," her mom said. "And today's Saturday, so I'm going shopping. Do you want to come along?"

White sat up straight. "Yes!" she said delightedly.

"I was thinking that we could go grocery shopping at the Driftveil market, and then maybe stop at shopping mall nine. N needs a change in wardrobe," she said, referring to the fact that N was still wearing his underarmor shirt and khakis. N perked up, hearing his name.

"What?" he asked. "I didn't hear."

White swallowed the bite she had taken. "Mom said we're gonna go to shopping mall nine to buy you some new clothes." She said. "Can I get some new clothes too?" she added hopefully.

Mom clicked her tongue. "White, dear, you have tons of clothes already. N needs something different."

White sighed, knowing that it was true. "If we're going to the mall, you need to change into different clothes," she said to N.

N looked at his empty plate. "But I don't have any other clothes," he said.

"I'm sure Cheren will let you borrow something," White said, leading him outside.

* * *

The two arrived outside of Cheren's house. "Hope he's home…" White said, knocking on the door. A man with a tall imposing figure answered the door. N flinched, but White was calm. "Hello, is Cheren home?" she asked. The man's stern expression didn't change. "Cheren, your friend is here!" he called, walking back into the house.

Cheren came running down the stairs. "Who is it, dad? Oh, hi White! …N?!"

Cheren leaned over. "WHY is N here?!" he whispered urgently in her ear.

White smiled. "Don't worry, he's good. He's staying with me." Cheren eyed him warily. N waved at him, acting like his usual oblivious but cheerful self.

"I don't know…" Cheren said. White sighed. "You know Ghetsis, right?" she asked. Cheren nodded. "Well long story short, he was an abusive father to N. N left, realizing that Ghetsis was only using him. He's no longer part of team plasma. Lo and behold, he's here with me."

Cheren nodded, looking back at N who was crouched down, looking at the grass. "So what are you here for?" he asked.

White smiled. "We're taking him clothes shopping today. He needs an outfit to go to the mall in, but there aren't any clothes that would fit him at my place."

Cheren saw where this was going. "…And you want to borrow something from my closet so he can wear it to the mall," he finished.

"Exactly."

Cheren sighed, sounding defeated. "Come on in…"

"Come on, N," White said cheerfully. N stood up and followed White inside.

* * *

"Thank you Cheren, we really appreciate this." White said, following Cheren to his room. N followed them timidly. Cheren rolled his eyes and opened his bedroom door. Everyone walked in.

"Well, I can see that it's still as dark and depressing in here as ever… just like you," White said jokingly. Cheren shoved her lightly. "Shut up," he said, smiling. White shoved him back playfully. N stared down at the dark blue carpet. "_They're acting so friendly. It's like they forgot about me_," he worried.

Cheren opened up his closet. "Now N, how tall are you?" N looked up. "I'm 5'10", why?"

Cheren pulled out a pair of skinny jeans. "Try these," he said. "I think they'll be long enough."

N nervously smoothed his pant leg and looked back at White. Cheren nodded understandingly. "White, do you think you could give us guys a little privacy? N needs to change."

White nodded and walked out into the hall.

* * *

A few minutes later, Cheren popped his head out of the door. "Come in, White. I think he likes the outfit."

White cautiously walked in, a little nervous about what she would see. She gasped.

N was wearing dark blue skinny jeans with a white V-neck t shirt on top. He was also wearing a tight black and gray striped cardigan that was buttoned in front. Around his neck was… a scarf?

"No way…" White whispered.

"What do you think?" Cheren asked, obviously proud of his handiwork.

"N…" White began, having a hard time finding the right words. "You look great," she admitted.

N smiled. "I look REALLY great!" he exclaimed. "Thank you Cheren!" he said, giving him a quick hug. Cheren stood there stiffly. "You're welcome," he said, sounding weirded out.

"Come on, N, mom is probably waiting," White said, taking his hand and leading him out. Cheren grabbed the other arm. "Wait!" he said. "This baseball cap? It has to go," he continued, pulling the hat off of N's head.

N gasped and reached for the hat, but to no avail. Cheren had pulled it out of his reach. N looked crestfallen.

"I think you'd look better with this," Cheren said, putting a gray fedora on his head.

N looked in the mirror and made a face. White chuckled. "N, you look adorable!" She squealed.

N blew upward, moving his bangs. "I wanna wear my own hat," he whined, taking off the fedora.

Cheren sighed and reluctantly handed back the ball cap. N hugged it comically and placed it back on his head. "Let's go shopping!" he exclaimed, taking White's hand and leading her out.

"Thanks Cheren!" White called hurriedly as N practically dragged her out of the room.

Cheren sweatdropped.

* * *

"Oh N, honey, you look fantastic!" Mom exclaimed, seeing the two heroes return from Cheren's.

N blushed. "Thanks," he said. "Cheren's got a lot of nice clothes, so it wasn't hard to pick something that looked good."

White paused for a moment. "Wait, I thought Cheren picked out the outfit for you," she said.

N looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well, we kinda collaborated. He picked the jeans, I picked the shirt and cardigan, and he decided the outfit needed a scarf."

White was shocked. "I didn't know you were so fashionable, N," she joked, nudging his side. He laughed.

Mom grabbed her house keys and her purse. "Alright, how do you guys wanna get there? We could either fly on Cora or take the subway."

"Who's Cora?" N asked.

"Cora's a salamence. Mom and her go way back," White said. "And no offense, mom, but I don't think we'll all fit on her back."

N perked up. "May I talk to Cora?" he asked.

Mom shot White a questioning look, but White made a 'go on,' motion with her hands.

They all went outside to the front of the house. She pulled out a faded pokeball and pressed the button in the center. The blinding flash disappeared and a large dragon Pokémon stood in front of them, small stars gleaming off of its bright green scales.

It roared and stared down N. N didn't flinch one bit.

"N… please don't provoke her," White's mom warned. "She's sweet when you get to know her, but she's a bit of a hothead, especially around strangers."

N walked up to her and held out his hand in a silent request to pet her.

"_Go on_," a female voice encouraged. "_I know you have good intentions_."

N smiled and ran his hand over the smooth scales of her neck. "You're beautiful," he whispered. "I've never met a salamence before."

Cora gave N what appeared to be a smile. "_Thank you, that's very flattering_."

"Where are you from?" N asked.

"_I am from a faraway place called Hoenn._"

"What's it like in Hoenn?"

"_It's beautiful and tropical_."

"Tropical?"

"_Yes, it's warm all year round, and the trees are different. There is a lot more ocean there too_."

"That sounds lovely. I'd love to visit there sometime."

The conversation went on and on. White's mom looked at her daughter, her mouth wide open in shock. "Is this really happening?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yup."

"But he just described Hoenn without ever going there… how does he know what it's like?!"

"Cora told him."

"You're kidding, right?"

White chuckled. "Nope. Mom, he's the real deal. N talks to Pokémon and they understand him. He understands them. I think it's amazing," she said, staring at him in admiration.

Mom looked at the ground, baffled by this.

"Cora, do you think you could fly us all to Driftveil city? I know it's kinda far," She asked, interrupting N's conversation with her Pokémon.

Cora looked between the three of them, a worried look coming over her face. "_There are a lot of you to carry…_" she said hesitantly. "_But I'm strong! I will never let you down_!"

N laughed at Cora's remark. "Cora, if it's too much, we won't force you."

Cora stood up tall, looking determined. "_I hope for your sake that that wasn't an insult. Now there's no way around it… I'm definitely flying you there_!"

N turned back to White and her mom. "Cora insists on flying us there," he said. He leaned back to listen to Cora, and cringed upon hearing it.

White looked at him, confused. "Did she say something else?"

N looked away, rubbing his neck nervously. "No, not really. She was just taunting me," he said, hiding the blush creeping over his face.

Everyone climbed onto Cora's back, and they all flew off.

* * *

N felt really cramped on Cora's back. He made the horrible decision of sitting in the middle, between White and her mom. White ended up holding onto his waist tightly, which he didn't mind at all, but he was stuck in the unfortunate situation of having White's mom's hair blowing into his face the entire time.

He sighed in relief when the three of them finally arrived in Driftveil. He was eager to get off of Cora's back, and he was even more eager to look around the market. Cora landed and held her wing down so that everyone could get off.

"Thank you," N said gratefully.

Cora bowed her head as she was returned to her pokeball.

White groaned and tried to smooth her hair back to normal. The wind didn't treat it very kindly. N played with his cardigan sleeve while mom pulled her hair back in an effort to fix it. "Where to first?" N asked, not even bothering to contain his excitement.

White's mom adjusted her purse on her shoulder. "Well, I need to buy groceries of course, so we're stopping by the market," she said, pointing to a large building with partially open sides.

The three of them began to walk toward the market when White's mom gasped and suddenly stopped N and White. A motorcycle roared by at blinding speeds, not even caring about the pedestrians.

"The nerve!" White's mom cried, obviously a little shaken. White and N stared at her with wide eyes. "Wow mom, thanks," White said shakily. "I didn't even see him coming."

"We would have been flattened!" N cried, his heart racing.

White's mom put her arms down and sighed. "Watch out for idiots. They're everywhere."

* * *

While mom was off gathering groceries, White and N decided to explore the market. Sure, it was a childish thing to go and abandon mom like that, but N wanted to look around some more. White was happy to oblige.

They inspected a display of the 'item of the day:" freshly baked bluk berry pie. Much to their delight, there was a person giving out samples. They scarfed down the small fractions of pie they were given and laughed at how purple their mouths had become afterward. The next person giving out samples had small cups of moomoo milk for them to try. They clinked their paper cups together and giggled.

"_N is so fun_…" White thought to herself. "_And to think that I wasn't so sure about him at first_."

N looked at White with a bright grin on his face.

"_Handsome too_…"

White's eyes widened as she realized what she just thought to herself. She shook her head in disbelief, trying to shake the thought away.

White's mom approached them, her arms full of brown bags of groceries. "Are you two done being little kids?" she joked. White and N both shot her a toothy grin, exposing their purple mouths.

"Of course…" she said dryly. "I'm going home on Cora with the groceries. I guess I didn't think this all the way through. You two have Pokémon that can fly right?"

White nodded, pulling out two pokeballs. "I have archeops and reshiram. N has zekrom too. That's plenty."

They went outside of the market building and mom sent out Cora. She handed them a thin stack of paper money. "This is all I can offer you guys to go shopping with. Make sure N gets one or two good outfits. Three if there's a sale."

She strapped the bags of groceries to Cora's back and climbed on. "I'll see you guys at home! Be safe! I love you!" She shouted as Cora took off.

White grinned deviously at the money her mom gave her. She fanned it out and began to count it when suddenly there was another motorcycle roar. The money was snatched out of her hands as two motorcycles sped by. "Hey!" White cried.

There was a loud noise of rubber on concrete as the two motorcycles came to a screeching halt. "Hey, look," the skinny biker guy taunted. "Money."

He clearly couldn't think of anything more clever to say.

N clenched his fists. "Give us back our money! It doesn't belong to you!"

The skinny guy scoffed at the remark. "Obviously. That's why we took it."

The biker with the more muscular build stood up off his bike and held his arm out to silence his friend. "Hush. We don't need to be TOO mean," he said. "I'm a heartbreaker…. The name… Charles. This is my buddy Zeke."

"Yo," Zeke said.

Charles shook his head. "Sorry about taking your money kiddies, but we're a little… short on the funds, ya know?" he said, rubbing his fingers together in the universal sign that meant money.

White frowned. "Give it back!" she insisted.

"Make me," Zeke said, clutching the money in his fist.

N held his head in frustration. "I'm sorry White," he apologized. "It's my fault for needing clothes."

Charles and Zeke stopped their idiotic cheering and looked at each other. "We can't just take money from someone who needs it too," Charles admitted. "We'll give ya a chance to win it back!"

White raised an eyebrow. "How…?" She questioned.

Zeke laughed. "Me and my buddy Charles against you and your boyfriend! Double battle."

N and White looked at each other and nodded. This would be too easy.

"Two Pokémon each sound ok?" White asked, sounding pumped.

The two goons snickered and did what appeared to be a secret handshake of sorts. "You got it," Charles agreed, pulling out a pokeball. "Go Zebstrika!"

Zeke laughed and sent out a pawniard.

N looked at White, who seemed confident. "Go, Chandelure!" she cried.

N grabbed a pokeball and tossed it.

"Is that his carracosta?" White cried in disbelief, seeing that there was a Zebstrika on the field. "_I hope he knows what he's doing_…" she worried, noting the type disadvantage.

N grinned at her.

"_He's up to something_…."

"Use focus blast on pawniard!" N cried. His Pokémon reared back and sent a ball of energy toward Zeke's Pokémon. Pawniard widened its eyes and narrowly dodged the focus blast.

"That's an odd move for a carracosta to know…" White muttered under her breath. She remembered back to her battle with N, and she paused. "…Because it's NOT a carracosta!" she exclaimed a little too loudly. N heard her and winked, confirming her suspicions.

Charles cracked his knuckles. "Let's get this battle going, guys!" he shouted. "Zebstrika, use wild charge on carracosta!"

N didn't flinch. "Dodge it!" he cried. His Pokémon tried to dodge, but Zebstrika was too fast. It charged into N's Pokémon and knocked it down.

Carracosta cried out and transformed into a zoroark. It shakily got up and growled at Zebstrika.

"Whoa, a zoroark?" Charles exclaimed.

"Yup! Now, flamethrower!" N commanded.

Zoroark grinned wickedly and let loose a powerful stream of flames in pawniard's direction. It danced around in the intense heat, desperately trying to dodge. It was no use. It fainted on the spot.

Zeke took a step back in shock and returned it to its pokeball.

"Chandelure, shadow ball!" White called, not missing a beat.

Chandelure held its arms together as it conjured up a dark purple ball of energy. It shot it at Zebstrika and there was a small explosion upon impact.

Charles watched anxiously as the cloud of smoke faded. Zebstrika was down.

He swore under his breath and called it back. "Krokorok, go!" He cried, sending out his second Pokémon.

Zeke threw his second pokeball and a tiny petilil appeared.

Charles looked at Zeke. "Dude, whatcha doing?!" he asked, sounding appalled.

Zeke shrugged. "This is my only other Pokémon," he reasoned.

"Real macho," White said, her voice heavily laden with sarcasm. Both heroes burst out in laughter, much to the annoyance of the bikers.

"Are we gonna battle, or are we just gonna sit around talking?" Charles taunted.

N sighed with boredom. "Zoroark, use focus blast on krokorok."

"Chandelure, flamethrower on petilil."

Both opponent Pokémon fainted immediately. Charles and Zeke knew when they were beaten.

They handed back the money, ashamed. "Thanks for the easy win!" White called after them.

N cupped his hands around his mouth. "Yeah, we kicked your butts!" he shouted as they sped off on their bikes. White giggled loudly at his uncharacteristic gesture.

"Come on, let's get you some clothes," she said, pulling out reshiram's pokeball.

**White's mom has a shiny salamence! Cool, huh? Thanks for reading! Please review if you can**


	5. I see the light

**Hey everyone, here's chapter 5: I see the light. It's a short chapter, and the title is based on the song from "Tangled." You'll see why ^_^ If you haven't seen that movie, you should! It's adorable**

White and N returned home a few hours later, carrying a few shopping bags in each hand and talking like two teens who had known each other forever.

"Aww how cute!" White's mom exclaimed, greeting them as they walked inside. "You two bonded!"

N and White looked away from each other, blushing nervously. "It's not unusual for two teens to bond over shopping," White said, smiling and watching N. "Especially when there's a massive sale going on and you realize that you're with someone who has a great fashion sense."

N held up his bags to show how much they bought.

Her mom smirked. "So you're 'with' him?"

White gasped a little, realizing that she said that. "I didn't mean it like that..." she added quickly.

"Uh huh…" Mom said sarcastically.

"But anyways, kids, I was thinking that maybe we could watch a movie!"

White's eyes brightened. She dropped the bags she was holding and excitedly jumped up and down.

"Yeah!"

"I was thinking we could watch Tangled," her mom said. "I know you love that movie."

N decided to stay silent. He knew what movies were, sure, but he didn't have the faintest idea as to what 'Tangled' was.

White led N into the living room and picked up the Tangled DVD case while N sat on the couch. She hurriedly took the disc out and popped it into the DVD player. After grabbing the remote, she sat down next to N and moved the cursor over 'play movie.'

"Mom, are you gonna watch the movie?" She cried. "Just a minute honey!" her mom's voice called from the kitchen. White sat pretzel-style on the couch to get comfortable. Her mom walked into the room and turned out the lights. "Popcorn, anyone?" she asked cheerfully, holding out a large plastic bowl.

White sat up straight. "ME!" she cried, reaching for the bowl. White's mom sat on the other side of N with the bowl. "I think N should hold the popcorn," she said, passing the bowl along to N. "He's in the middle."

White turned to look at N, who was holding the bowl on his lap and staring intently at its contents. "What is this stuff?" he asked.

"Popcorn," White responded, grabbing a handful and popping it into her mouth.

N shrugged and grabbed a handful. 'Crunchy," he said, eating a piece. White smiled and pressed a button on the remote, starting the movie. Everyone seemed to shift in their seats as the movie started.

* * *

White knew this movie pretty much by heart. After all, she had watched it dozens of times. Rapunzel was kept in a tower her entire life by her mother in order to protect her and her magical hair. As much as she appreciated her mother's protection, she desperately wanted to leave to see the floating lanterns that appeared on her birthday each year. She finally got her chance when the charming Flynn Rider came upon her tower one day.

White had to try her hardest to keep from spoiling the movie for N. They were just now getting to the scene where Flynn took Rapunzel out in the middle of the lake to watch the lanterns. She heard the familiar music start up and knew they were about to sing. She leaned on the arm of the couch and smiled. She could sing along if she really wanted to.

_ All those days watching from the windows_

_ All those years outside looking in_

_ All that time, never even knowing just how blind I've been_

White looked over at N, whose face was illuminated by the dim glow of the TV. He was entranced by the scene, a bright smile stretching across his face.

_ Now I'm here blinking in the starlight_

_ Now I'm here, suddenly I see_

_ Standing here, it's all so clear, I'm where I'm meant to be_

White blushed slightly, realizing how much these words meant at the current moment.

_And at last I see the light_

_ And it's like the fog has lifted_

_ And at last I see the light_

_ And it's like the sky is new_

_And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted_

White looked back at N, who seemed to have his full attention fixed on the TV.

_All at once, everything looks different_

_ Now that I see you_

White blushed deeply, turning back to the movie. "Now that I see you…" she whispered. She gasped at her sudden realization, putting her hand on N's arm out of shock. N looked over at her, wondering why she had suddenly grabbed his arm like that. She was facing the TV screen, but her eyes were wide and she seemed to be deep in thought.

He looked back at the movie. Rapunzel and Flynn had just finished their dialogue, and they were each holding a lantern. The music swelled as they released their lanterns into the sky.

_All those days chasing down a daydream_

_ All those years living in a blur_

_ All that time, never truly seeing things the way they were_

N looked down at the unpopped kernels of popcorn in the nearly empty bowl on his lap, and then at White's hand, which was still on his arm. "_This song sounds just like me_…"

_ Now she's here, shining in the starlight_

_ Now she's here, suddenly I know_

_ If she's here, it's crystal clear_

_ I'm where I'm meant to go_

N's eyes widened as he looked over at White.

Rapunzel and Flynn held hands.

_And at last I see the light_

_ And it's like the fog has lifted_

_ And at last I see the light_

_ And it's like the sky is new_

N opened his mouth a little. "This... this is –"

_And it's warm and real and bright_

_ And the world has somehow shifted_

N felt chills travel along his spine. "…like us," he finished, looking at White. He put his other hand on hers. She looked at him, surprised.

_All at once, everything is different_

_ Now that I see you_

White's heart raced. "Does he know what I'm thinking?" She worried to herself. She decided that she didn't care if he knew or not. He'd figure it out soon enough. She rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't object.

_Now that I see you_

**This is so adorable! I didn't want to spoil anything from the movie for any of you who haven't seen it. I hope you liked it :) Thank you for reading**


	6. Now that I see you

**Here's the final chapter guys! Hope you enjoy it :) **

CRASH! N yelped in pain as the heavy shampoo bottle fell onto his foot. This sort of thing always happened to him.

He crouched down to pick up the bottle, letting the hot water cascade over his back. He sighed contently.

After making sure it was ok with mom, he took this opportunity to take a relaxing shower. And boy was it relaxing!

He stood up and returned the shampoo bottle to the small shelf on the wall of the shower. He took a few more seconds to stand in the hot water before reluctantly turning it off. He reached for the towel that he draped over the side of the shower and began to dry off.

"_I wonder what we'll do today_," N thought to himself. "_If it's anything like yesterday, we're going to be busy_." He ran the towel through his thick hair in an attempt to dry it.

He smiled, thinking about the day before. He blushed softly at the thought of the movie last night, and how White ended up falling asleep on his shoulder. He ended up carrying her (with mom's permission, of course) bridal-style to her room after the movie had finished. He tucked her in and stayed there for a few minutes. He wasn't creepy about it at all, though, and had only stayed to admire her peaceful sleeping form. "_She's beautiful when she sleeps_," he admitted to himself.

He stepped out of the shower and continued to dry off. He got dressed in a fresh outfit and decided to check and see if White was still sleeping. Maybe he could see her sleeping, just one more time. Maybe.

He went to her room and tentatively opened her door a crack. The bed was empty, and the sheets and blankets were tossed everywhere. "_She's up_," he chuckled to himself. He shut the door and headed downstairs. White and her mom were sitting in the dining room at the table eating breakfast.

N's eyes widened as he saw food he recognized: scrambled eggs and potatoes!

"Good morning, sweetie," White's mom said. "Grab some breakfast, there's a lot left."

N pulled out the chair next to White and sat down. "Thanks," he said, grabbing a plate.

"Good morning," he said, turning to face White. She looked at him cheerfully. She noticed a certain sparkle in his eyes that wasn't there when she first met him. He seemed a lot happier too, come to think of it.

There was comfortable silence as everyone ate their scrambled eggs, toast, and hash browns. White's mom finally broke the silence, wiping her mouth with a napkin and standing up. "I'm taking my dishes to the sink, anyone else?"

White nodded and gave her plate, silverware, and cup to mom. N did the same. "Thanks, mom," White said. Mom walked out into the kitchen, carefully balancing the mountain of dishes she was holding.

N sat back in his seat and slouched a little. "Do you know what you want to do today?" he asked White. She shook her head and leaned on the table with her elbows. "Not sure, really."

Mom walked back in the room with a huge grin on her face. "Did I just hear you two discussing your lack of plans for today?" She asked. White raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going with this, mom?"

Mom reached into her pocket and dug out two small passes. "Ta-da!" She said in a sing-song voice. White took a pass and read it. "Undella day spa?" She read out loud, her voice sounding excited. "Mom, this is too much to just take. I can't accept this."

Mom held out her hand, refusing the ticket White was trying to hand back. "I know they're a little pricey, but I know you two need to relax after your long and tiring journey."

White looked at her pass in disbelief. "How did you even get these? I thought they were booked for months in advance!"

"They're good for a year, so you can use them anytime. It's a good thing you two are home so they can be used. I wouldn't have the time to use them myself."

White stood up and hugged her mom tight. "Thank you so much!" She said gratefully. Mom kissed her daughter's forehead and went out in the kitchen to do the dishes.

N was still sitting at the table, staring at the ticket in his hand. He had no idea what a spa even was… it sounded scary.

White looked over at N, who had a really worried expression on his face. "What's wrong, N?" She asked, walking over to his side. He looked up at her, gesturing toward the ticket in his hand.

"Oh, the spa? It's a wonderful place! People give you massages and foot rubs and it's fantastic! So relaxing!" White said in a bubbly tone of voice. She was obviously excited.

"What's a massage?" N asked. White looked up thoughtfully, trying to find the right words to describe it.

"The people doing the massages put their hands on you and uh…" White began, pausing when she saw the horrified look on N's face. "…but it's good! They know where to put pressure, and they push down on your muscles where they hurt, and…" She trailed off, seeing that her explanation was not making things any better.

"Lemme try again," she said. "Basically, it's a place to go relax and get pampered. These people relieve your stress by removing the tension from your muscles."

N nodded like he somewhat understood. "I don't know…" he said softly. "Do they HAVE to touch me?"

White frowned. "They don't touch you anywhere inappropriate or anything if that's what you're wondering. Mostly your back and shoulders."

N stiffened up and the frightened look returned to his face. "I don't think I want to do this, White," he admitted. "I don't want them touching me."

"What's so bad about them touching you?"

"They're not touching me," he said firmly.

White sighed and walked up behind him. She put her hands on his shoulders and began massaging them. N jumped and began to protest, but he gave in and let her massage him a little.

She put her hands at her sides when N slumped in his chair from the short little massage. "Relaxing, huh?"

N turned and looked at her with wide eyes. "What WAS that?" He asked in awe. "That hurt but it felt so good."

White giggled. "That was basically a bad version of a massage. I'm not really good at giving them," she admitted.

N grinned widely and grabbed the ticket he set down on the table. "Let's go!" he exclaimed, standing up.

* * *

The two arrived in sunny Undella town. It was summertime all across the Unova region, so it was pretty warm and nice everywhere, but Undella town was even prettier and livelier than usual. The Undella bay sparkled in the sunshine, its turquoise waters translucent and free of pollution. Palm trees rustled softly in the wind, and umbrellas dotted the beach like brightly colored flowers.

"This is beautiful," N said breathlessly as the two walked along the beach.

"I know…" White responded, equally awestruck. "Silky sugar white beaches, warm water, sunshine… this place is perfect."

N looked at the spa brochure he had been clutching this entire time. "This says that the spa is a few buildings away from the Pokémon center. We're getting close, I guess," he said, looking up at the Pokémon center that lay ahead.

White's heart beat excitedly. She had always wanted to get pampered at the world-renowned Undella day spa, but never had the funds or the time to be waitlisted.

"It was really generous of mom to give those passes to us," She said to N. "I wonder why she did that. I know she loves it here."

N shrugged as the two passed the Pokémon center. "She just seems like a very selfless person." He said. "She's been so generous to me ever since I came home with you. Most parents wouldn't have let me stay, but your mom has been so kind to me. It's like she took me into the family."

White blushed inwardly. "Yeah, that's true," she said softly. N looked over at her. She seemed very distracted all of a sudden.

The two reached the end of the street and looked up at the huge building in front of them. It was charming and elegant all in one, and had a multitude of glass windows in the front, revealing the fancy check-in area. A huge polished granite sign said 'Welcome to the Undella day spa.'

The two looked at each other, barely containing their excitement. "Let's go!" N said as he raced inside, pulling White by the arm.

* * *

White struggled to keep up with N as he dragged her to the reception desk.

"N, I can't run as fast as you!" She panted. "Your legs are much longer than mine."

N looked back at her and sized up her legs. "I guess you're right," he said. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't hurt you."

White held her shoulder as she rotated her arm a few times. "I'm good, just a little sore. That's what we're here for, though," she said good-naturedly.

She noticed that N was still staring at her legs. She felt a little self-conscious and decided to quickly change the subject. "Hello!" She said to the receptionist at the desk. The receptionist returned the cheerful greeting, and White handed her the two day passes.

The receptionist looked them over, punched some numbers into the computer, and then scanned them before handing them back. "Thank you!" White said, stuffing the passes into her pocket.

"No problem, miss. Now do you two want the honeymoon suite before you have your soak in the hot springs?" The receptionist asked.

White's jaw dropped, and she was unable to speak. She shook her head, trying to come to her senses. "Did you say honeymoon suite?!" She asked.

The receptionist nodded. "Yes. These passes are for the hot springs, and I made the assumption that you two were together. Am I mistaken?"

White's eyes remained wide. "We're not 'together' together; we're just here together, if that makes any sense. My mom gave us those passes so we could relax after our long Pokémon journey, that's all."

The receptionist looked down, embarrassed. "My sincerest apologies! I didn't mean to imply anything. Would you like to be shown to the locker rooms, then?" She asked, sounding flustered.

White agreed, and the receptionist called over another lady to show them to the locker rooms.

The two heroes followed the employee as she led them to the locker rooms. "White, I have a question," N said, finally speaking up. He had been silent this whole time, which was surprising. "Yes?" White responded.

"What's a honeymoon?" He asked. White facepalmed. "It's something that married couples do," she explained. N nodded understandingly. "So did that desk lady really think we were married?" He asked.

White squirmed nervously, not sure about how to explain. Honeymoon suites weren't just for newlyweds. Young couples could also stay there to have a romantic getaway.

"Here you are," the lady in front of them said. White looked up to see her gesturing toward the locker room doors. "Thank you so much," she said as she went into the women's locker room.

N shrugged, thanked the lady for showing them where to go, and went inside the men's locker room.

* * *

White stepped out back into the hot springs area, a modesty towel wrapped around her chest and just barely reaching past her butt. "_Jeez, these things are so skimpy…"_ she worried to herself.

"HEY WHITE!" She heard a call from behind her. She turned to face the source of the sound and saw N, who had run up behind her. He was wearing his towel wrapped around his head. White looked up until she was sure she couldn't see anything out of her peripherals.

"Aren't these towels so COOL?!" He asked enthusiastically. "They're so warm and fluffy!"

White cringed, making sure to avert her gaze. "N, you're supposed to cover yourself with the towel. You're all exposed," she said.

N looked down at himself and shrugged. "Am I supposed to wear it like how you're wearing it?" He asked.

"Mmhmm," White said, still refusing to look at him. She heard him shuffling with the towel.

"How about like this?"

White was still looking up, but she slowly brought her gaze down. He was holding the towel over his chest, but she could see his belly button out of the very corner of her eye. His lower half was still exposed.

White covered her eyes, blushing feverishly. "Just get in the water," she said quickly.

There was a big splash, meaning that N had gotten into the springs. She uncovered her eyes and sighed with relief. "Is it safe to come in?" She asked.

N popped his head above the water. "It's so nice in here! Please come in, White!"

White walked over to the hot spring and nervously began to step in, making sure that she was completely covered the whole time. She sank into the water and sighed deeply. She closed her eyes for a minute or two and just let her body soak in the hot steamy water. N tried his best to imitate her by sinking into the water too, but he was feeling too antsy with excitement.

White picked up on his lack of focus, and opened her eyes to see him fidgeting.

"N, you're supposed to relax in here," she said good-naturedly.

N smiled and put his hands on his face. "I can't help it, I'm just so excited to be here with you," he said cheerfully. He twirled in the water. White's heart sank as she caught a glimpse of his back and shoulders.

"N… what happened?" She asked. He stopped moving around and looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"You… your back. And shoulders. Wh-what?"

N looked away. "Oh… that."

White put her hand to her mouth. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything!" She stammered. "I'm just concerned."

N was silent. He didn't like being shirtless around anyone because of this reason. He knew that his pale skin was marred by countless marks and scars, courtesy of Ghetsis.

"I know... it's ugly… I'm ugly," N finally said.

White frowned worriedly. "That's not what I meant, N. You're not ugly at all. I…" she said, trailing off. She was unsure of how to finish that statement.

N sighed. "It's ok, White. I'm deformed. I know I am."

White gasped. "No you're not, N. Did Ghetsis tell you that?"

N nodded. "He was right. Why else would you have reacted the way you did?"

White felt a lump in her throat. "I reacted the way I did because I saw what he did to you, and I realized how strong of a person you are."

N's expression brightened a little. "You mean it?"

"I mean it," White said, smiling warmly.

N looked at her reassuring smile, and studied her. She was even prettier than he thought. His eyes traveled to the neckline as he followed her collarbones and petite shoulders and… he blushed a little.

White noticed him staring, and followed the line of his gaze. She looked down and realized that you could see a faint outline of her chest through the water and steam. She cried out softly and covered herself with her hands.

"Why are you covering them?" N asked bluntly. White blushed. "Because you saw them, didn't you?" She asked, her voice wavering a little. N smiled. "Of course I did! And they're really nice too."

White opened her mouth, shocked that N would say such a thing. She was about to yell when she stopped and thought for a second. "….You actually mean that in a complimentary, non-perverted way, don't you?" She asked, beginning to notice a pattern. N nodded enthusiastically.

"I was always told as a kid that people need to wear clothes. I never understood why people are so embarrassed of their bodies," N said. White looked down and thought about it for a little. It did seem a little weird, now that he mentioned it.

"I guess you're right. I'm not sure why I get so embarrassed, especially because we're all the same. But I still get embarrassed. I guess it's because clothes are so forced on us from the very start." White said.

N smiled mischievously. "Your chest is very nice, White," he said. White blushed hard and tried not to feel embarrassed. "…thank you…" she said softly. N abruptly looked down and blushed. "I can't say that I'm not totally confident with my body either," he admitted.

White cocked her head, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

N blushed. "Well, my body keeps doing this weird thing when I see you or think about you, and it makes me feel embarrassed."

"What are you talking about, N?" White asked, and immediately regretted it.

"My thingy," he said innocently.

White didn't know whether to laugh or cry or some weird combination of the two.

"Does yours do this too?" N asked her.

"If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, then no, N. Girls don't have those."

N frowned and looked down at himself. "Why don't girls have them?"

White blushed. "I'd rather not go into that right now," she said.

"Well, then what DO girls have?" He asked.

White's heart beat nervously. "I don't even know how to begin answering that, N. It would require showing you."

"Oh, and you're embarrassed!" N said in realization. "I get it."

"_Thank Arceus_," White mumbled under her breath.

There was a small moment of silence that was broken by N's chuckling.

"What's up?" White asked. N blushed and touched his fingertips together. "You're pretty, White." He admitted. Her heart skipped a beat.

"_Is this really happening?"_

"Do you really think so?" White asked nervously.

N sunk into the water so only his eyes showed. He blew bubbles, his face beet red with blush.

"Yes. I think you're beautiful," He admitted when he finally emerged enough to talk again.

White held her hands over her mouth, feeling choked up with emotion. She reached out and hugged him. "I'm glad you think so," she said. "I think you're handsome."

N looked down, feeling her bare chest pressed against his. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

White looked up at him, her face level with his neck. "I wanna kiss you so bad right now," she said breathlessly.

N placed his hands on her shoulders. He made up his mind. He felt like thousands of butterfree were frantically trying to break out of his stomach. He leaned in and softly pressed his lips against hers.

White fought the initial instinct to pull away out of surprise, and eventually gave in. The two remained lip locked for about ten more seconds before pulling apart. White looked at N through heavy eyes.

N saw the look on White's face and became worried. "Is something wrong?" He asked, alarmed. "Did I do it right?"

White placed her head in the crook of his neck. "You were perfect." She said sweetly.

They leaned in for another quick kiss. "I was wondering if you felt the same about me," White admitted. "I was worried you only liked me as a friend."

N kissed her cheek. "I do like you – a lot." He said, grinning.

White sighed comfortably and wrapped her arms around him.

N calmly stroked her hair. "Does this make me your boyfriend?" He asked.

White giggled. "Yes silly, it does."

* * *

The two relaxed for the rest of the day, getting as much usage out of the day passes as possible. When it was time to go home, they flew on reshiram.

"I had so much fun with you today, White," N said, sliding off of reshiram's back and helping her down. Reshiram smiled a calm smile. "_I knew this would happen_," it said. The two heroes looked at it and blushed. "You knew?" White asked. Reshiram bowed its head.

White giggled and called it back. She held N's hand and the two walked into the house. Mom was nowhere in sight.

The two exchanged glances and leaned in for a kiss. Just then, mom walked into the room and purposely cleared her throat. White jumped at the sound and immediately detached herself from N's lips. The two stood facing her with their hands behind their back, feigning innocence.

"Oh, mom! We were, uh… just…"

Mom raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Yeah, yeah, I saw you two." She said.

White looked down, embarrassed. N rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if she would kick him out.

Mom stood there, watching them squirm uncomfortably. She finally opened her mouth to respond.

"I'm glad my spa passes worked!"

**Matchmaker mom! **

**I hope you guys liked this story :) Please review if you can!**


End file.
